Building our new raised bed garden & other garden adventures

[DeniseM]

In the past, the item that we went to the grocery store for most often was fresh salad ingredients, so we are building a raised bed salad garden, and I thought some Tuggers might be interested. As a bonus, it's a good project for my house-bound husband. We have a small California size yard, so we are building a 8 ft. x 3 ft x 10 inches raised bed in an existing flower bed. We aren't planting right in the soil that's already there, because this area had roses a few years ago, so we don't want to plant in soil that may still have rose fertilizer/pesticides in it. The raised bed is 8 ft. x 3 ft x 10 inches. Here are the first 4 steps - I will add more pictures as we go along:

 

[Mongoose]

In the past, the item that we went to the grocery store for most often was fresh salad ingredients, so we are building a raised bed salad garden, and I thought some Tuggers might be interested. As a bonus, it's a good project for my house-bound husband. We have a small California size yard, so we a building a 8 ft. x 3 ft x 10 inches raised bed in an existing flower bed. We aren't planting right in the soil that's already there, because this area had roses a few years ago, so we don't want to plant in soil that may still have rose fertilizer/pesticides in it. The raised bed is 8 ft. x 3 ft x 10 inches. Here are the first 4 steps - I will add more pictures as we go along:

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I love raised bed gardening. Thanks for sharing. Did you treat the pine with anyting? I've used some soy based sealants in the past. They lasted about 2 seasons.

 

[DeniseM]

Tah - Dah: We have soil! We are going to wait a day or two to plant our seeds, because we are expecting showers, which is perfect timing:

 

[DeniseM]

Oops - We didn't treat the wood with anything.

 

[Old Hickory]

How much full sun does this bed receive in the growing season? And why seeds? It seems late for seeds.

 

[DeniseM]

I know I bought too many seeds, but we are just planting a few of the larger plants, and if the first garden is successful, I hope to do another round or two, since we have such a long growing season here:

 

[DeniseM]

How much full sun does this bed receive in the growing season? And why seeds? It seems late for seeds.

This bed gets full sun in the afternoon - it faces west.
We just got this idea a week ago, so we're getting a late start. But our earliest frost date here is December, so we have lots of time.
We are plantings seeds, because I could order them through the mail. We aren't going to stores these days to buy plants - that's why we are planting a garden.

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

...."We are plantings seeds, because I could order them through the mail. We aren't going to stores these days to buy plants - that's why we are planting a garden.

DeniseM is prepping for the Timeshare Zombie Apocalypse .
LOL

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Great Pictures
-Good idea & also a good way to focus on something you can connect to every day.
Just remember you may be sharing with rabbits & squirrels etc.

 

[DeniseM]

We don't have rabbits or squirrels here in urban CA - it's the feral cats I'm worried about!

 

[Big Matt]

I don't know if you do or don't like the following veggies, but they grow real well in this type of set up. Green and yellow squash. You can plant around the edges and they will spread out low and on the ground. Beans. Put a couple of stakes or strings and they will grow up. Tomatoes take up a lot of space. You will get good yield, but they may get too big. Maybe plant them in larger pots. I had great success with cherry tomatos last year on my deck. I grew them from seeds and got about 400 tomatoes from 5 pots. Have fun and keep us updated.

 

[clifffaith]

We don't have rabbits or squirrels here in urban CA - it's the feral cats I'm worried about!

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Our cats will occasioally poop in the beds, especially when Cliff has been hauling home free compost from the city yard (we also have our own composter, known as the "hog pen" because he takes green scraps out to feed it every other day). More often they are crossing their legs at the back door to rush in and poop in the litter box rather than utilize the great outdoors.

 

[DaveNV]

Great idea, Denise! It may not be too late for this website to give you some growing tips:

Shop - Square Foot Gardening

squarefootgardening.org

Dave

 

[Ralph Sir Edward]

What is you average high temperature and overnight low temperature?

 

[AnnaS]

Looks awesome. My husband grows vegetables every summer. It's still too cold here. He uses pots also to grow some plants since we don't have a lot of dirt in our yard (some cement/grass, deck, pool). Tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, string beans (two types), Italian squash (the one that looks like a bat ) & cucumber come to mind - some herbs also.

 

[Quilter]

Our cats will occasioally poop in the beds, especially when Cliff has been hauling home free compost from the city yard (we also have our own composter, known as the "hog pen" because he takes green scraps out to feed it every other day). More often they are crossing their legs at the back door to rush in and poop in the litter box rather than utilize the great outdoors.

That's funny because my cat will beg to come inside and head straight to the litter box.

This winter though I caught her coming from the soft warm dirt in my cold frame. I had left the top open. After that I rearranged things I had stored in it to discourage her. I've never made much use out of it for growing things. I'm usually away in the late winter months when it would be useful for starting things. By the time I get home it's time to go straight to bed planting.

We got some nice new galvanized beds for the garden at church. https://www.metalgardenbeds.com

I'm wondering how much it's going to be to fill these beds with the appropriate soil. I've asked for help sourcing soil from a the manager of a student organic farm from a local university. We use these gardens at church to share and educate others in growing their own produce.

 

[clifffaith]

Cliff already has 5 tomatoes planted, and somewhere out there are new pepper plants too. Strawberries going crazy. He needs to get his bean poles set up soon.

 

[pedro47]

That‘s an awesome picture of a raise garden. Looks liked a true farmer planted it.
Looks liked you have either an orange or a lemon tree. It is so organized, clean and neat.

 

[DeniseM]

What is you average high temperature and overnight low temperature?

Today it's 63/49 because it's supposed to rain, but later this week: 77/50.

 

[Mcjohan]

We don't have rabbits or squirrels here in urban CA - it's the feral cats I'm worried about!

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Where we live (Bay Area) there are lots of trees that drop spikey seed pods (liquidambar trees). I collect the pods when I’m out walking & put them on our raised beds because most cats really don’t like them. Now if I can only figure out how to keep the ground squirrels away....

 

[DeniseM]

Here's a little update: My garden is 2 weeks old now (seeds were planted 2 weeks ago) and everything has sprouted. The biggest green spots in the middle are mixed leaf lettuce. When it's about 3 in. high I'm going to thin it out by harvesting half of it, and then harvest the rest of it as needed, by just cutting leaves, but not pulling up the whole plant.

 

[Brett]

Here's a little update: My garden is 2 weeks old now (seeds were planted 2 weeks ago) and everything has sprouted. The biggest green spots in the middle are mixed leaf lettuce. When it's about 3 in. high I'm going to thin it out by harvesting half of it, and then harvest the rest of it as needed, by just cutting leaves, but not pulling up the whole plant.

looking good!
my tomato plants are growing - no blossoms yet

 

[geekette]

Nice!

It's still winter here (below 30 this morning!!!) so I'm just kinda stuck. And Jealous!

Please let me know how the carrots go. We have a lot of clay in our soil so on my first attempt they were stunted/disfigured. I have yet to do a raised bed but might have to in order to get carrots.

I learned about "mound gardening" from a Homestead Rescue episode. It has a long German-sounding name I can't recall, but I like the concept and could fit 2 lengthy mounds.

We'll see. Wild season already.

I have to build a tall fence around my veggies if I want them left alone. I don't generally mind if the deer prune my tomato plants but I get very annoyed with the squirrels. I live peacefully with the animals, mostly.

I am this year taking the advice to make something that looks like a predator. I do have a massive hawks' nest so any critter around here would know that. The idea is that I make something that just looks like menacing yellow eyes. I am thinking of spray painting old CDs. Built in iris/hole. Probably attach to a hanger that I can then hang on a nearby tree or even put a post in for it. we'll see. first, I need warm weather!!!! I have held off on starting anything indoors and it is good I did, they would be far too big for their baby peat pots by now.

I am now hungry for a warm tomato right off the plant.

Good growing to all!

 

[Glynda]

When my mother eats a tomato she really likes, she saves the seeds on a paper napkin. After several days of drying, she plants them in small pots and later transplants the plants. They do quite well.

 

[Monykalyn]

Very nice garden! We have 5 of them on my backyard, 4 are double the height so I can plant carrots in one. I try to rotate the garden plantings each year.
Beans do take little space as then can grow "up" if have a structure. I think I may try growing squash and zucchini "up" this year as well. Heck Epcot's greenhouse has heavy vertical vegetables!
Planning on getting my plants this weekend and getting mine in the ground-we've had a really cool and rainy spring this year-still had freeze warnings this week! Normally by now I've gotten lettuce, radishes and herbs are well on their way. My sage bush is several years old and survives just about everything. My cilantro is back too. For several years I had lots of winter hardy volunteer kale-haven't seen that this year but the chickens may have been eating it! I also plant lots of herbs. I think I may try the "barrel" planting method for potatoes and onions this year-I just read a blog on using old chicken feed bags to grow sweet potatoes....

Please let me know how the carrots go. We have a lot of clay in our soil so on my first attempt they were stunted/disfigured. I have yet to do a raised bed but might have to in order to get carrots.

Carrots need loose soil, and fairly deep. Soil with a mix of peat moss keeps the soil loose so the carrots can grow. I can usually grow enough carrots in a growing season they last all winter. Storing in dark dry cool place they last quite awhile.

I am now hungry for a warm tomato right off the plant.

YUM! When I send kids to get the sweet cherry tomatoes-there are times I'm lucky any tomatoes make it back to house!

 

[AnnieBets]

Here's a little update: My garden is 2 weeks old now (seeds were planted 2 weeks ago) and everything has sprouted. The biggest green spots in the middle are mixed leaf lettuce. When it's about 3 in. high I'm going to thin it out by harvesting half of it, and then harvest the rest of it as needed, by just cutting leaves, but not pulling up the whole plant.

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You can start another batch of lettuce seeds every couple of weeks as long as it doesn’t get too hot.